Khalifa Haftar rose to prominence after the uprising against the late General Gaddafi, and was the person who announced that the Libyan government had been suspended. A leading figure in Libya’s military establishment, Haftar became a major general in the Libyan Army since 2011, commander of the forces of the internationally recognized Tobruk government in 2015, and Libya’s Army Chief in 2017. As of August 2016, Haftar had refused to support the new United Nations Security Council endorsed Government of National Accord, which led the United States and allies to believe that he was jeopardizing the stability of Libya. The UAE, Egypt, and Russia continue to support Haftar. Haftar’s Libyan Army seized control of Libyan oil ports in June of 2018. However, he later handed control of them back to port authorities after international pressure.

Source of Influence: Political

Status: Featured in current year

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